Amber Richards, MPH

(she/her/hers)
PhD student
amber.richards25 at uga.edu

Amber joined the Shariat lab in 2019 as an undergrad at UGA. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Microbiology/Biology in 2020, she stayed at UGA to pursue a Masters degree in Public Health (MPH). Her past research has included developing a qPCR assay that can detect a specific Salmonella serovar in a mixed culture, characterizing the diversity of Salmonella in animal feed, and determining the prevalence of Salmonella serovar Kentucky in US poultry. Her current research focuses on Salmonella serovar dynamics during processing. In her free time, Amber likes to read anything that’s not peer reviewed and spend time with friends.

Education and Training

BS: Microbiology. University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
BS: Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
MPH: Master of Public Health. University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

Publications

Richards, A. K., Siceloff, A. T., Simmons, M., Tillman, G. E., & Shariat, N. W. (2023). Poultry processing interventions reduce Salmonella serovar complexity on post-chill young chicken carcasses as determined by deep serotyping. Journal of food protection, 100208. Advance online publication.

Gorski, L., Shariat, N. W., Richards, A. K., Siceloff, A. T., Aviles Noriega, A., & Harhay, D. M. (2024). Growth assessment of Salmonella enterica multi-serovar populations in poultry rinsates with commonly used enrichment and plating media. Food microbiology, 119, 104431.

Richards, A. K., Kue, S., Norris, C. G., & Shariat, N. W. (2023). Genomic and phenotypic characterization of Salmonella enterica serovar Kentucky. Microbial genomics, 9(9), 001089.

Meinersmann, R. J., Berrang, M. E., Shariat, N. W., Richards, A., & Miller, W. G. (2023). Despite Shared Geography, Campylobacter Isolated from Surface Water Are Genetically Distinct from Campylobacter Isolated from Chickens. Microbiology spectrum, 11(2), e0414722.

McMillan, E. A., Berrang, M. E., Read, Q. D., Rasamsetti, S., Richards, A. K., Shariat, N. W., & Frye, J. G. (2023). Buffered Peptone Water Formulation Does Not Influence Growth of pESI-positive Salmonella enterica Serovar Infantis. Journal of food protection, 86(2), 100033.

Obe, T., Richards, A. K., & Shariat, N. W. (2022). Differences in biofilm formation of Salmonella serovars on two surfaces under two temperature conditions. Journal of applied microbiology, 132(3), 2410–2420.

Shariat, N. W., Feye, K. M., Richards, A. K., Booher, B., Flores, Z., Rubinelli, P. M., Olson, E. G., & Ricke, S. C. (2021). Incidence of Salmonella serovars isolated from commercial animal feed mills in the United States and serovar identification using CRISPR analysis. Journal of applied microbiology, 130(6), 2141–2146.

Richards, A. K., Hopkins, B. A., & Shariat, N. W. (2020). Conserved CRISPR arrays in Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis can serve as qPCR targets to detect Infantis in mixed serovar populations. Letters in applied microbiology, 71(2), 138–145.

Presentations

Antimicrobial interventions reduce Salmonella serovar complexity in chicken parts at processing (poster). International Association for Food Protection. July 2025. Cleveland, OH.
Recipient of Student Travel Scholarship

Evaluating Salmonella sampling methods through broiler processing (poster). International Poultry Scientific Forum. January 2025. Atlanta, GA.
Recipient of Alltech Manuscript Award

Salmonella serovar complexity is reduced on broiler carcasses and parts post antimicrobial intervention (poster). Southeastern Branch – American Society of Microbiology. September 2024. Tampa, FL.
Won 2nd place for Graduate Poster Presentation

Salmonella serovar complexity is reduced on broiler carcasses and parts post antimicrobial intervention (poster). Department of Population Health Graduate Student Research Symposium. August 2024. Athens, GA.
Won 3nd place for Poster Presentation

A tale of two Kentuckys: Highlighting genetic and phenotypic differences within a polyphyletic Salmonella serovar (poster). International Association for Food Protection. July 2024. Long Beach, CA.

Broiler processing interventions reduce Salmonella serovar complexity on whole carcasses (poster). Center for Food Safety. March 2024. Atlanta, GA

Antimicrobial interventions effectively reduce Salmonella serovar complexity in chicken carcasses at processing (poster). International Poultry Scientific Forum. January 2024. Atlanta, GA.
Won 1st place for Processing and Products Poster Presentation

Processing interventions reduce Salmonella serovar complexity on post-chill chicken carcasses (talk). Southeastern Branch – American Society of Microbiology. November 2023. Auburn, AL.
Won Travel Grant Award

Assessing Salmonella serovar dynamics through broiler processing (talk). International Poultry Scientific Forum. January 2023. Atlanta, GA.
Won 1st place for Processing and Products Oral Presentation

Characterization of two Salmonella serovar Kentucky lineages associated with food animal production and human illness (talk). Southeastern Branch – American Society of Microbiology. November 2022. Savannah, GA.
Won Travel Grant Award

Epidemiological analysis of two Salmonella serovar Kentucky lineages in food animal production and human illness (talk). Association of Southeastern Biologists. April 2022. Little Rock, AR.
Won 1st place for Microbiology Oral Presentation

Prevalence of Salmonella serovar Kentucky Group II in United States food animals (poster). Florida and Southeastern Branch American Society for Microbiology. March 2021. Virtual.
Won 2nd place for Graduate Poster Presentation

Conserved CRISPRs as diagnostic tools for Salmonella (poster). Southeastern Branch of the American Society for Microbiology. February 2020. Huntsville, AL
Won 2nd place for Undergraduate Poster Presentation

Awards

  • Recipient of Student Travel Scholarship. International Association for Food Protection. July 2025.
  • Recipient of Jane S. and W. Harry Willson Graduate Fellowship. University of Georgia. March 2025.
  • Recipient of Alltech Manuscript Award. International Poultry Scientific Forum. January 2025.
  • 2nd place for Graduate Poster Presentation. Southeastern Branch – American Society of Microbiology. September 2024.
  • 3nd place for Graduate Poster Presentations. Department of Population Health Graduate Student Research Symposium. August 2024.
  • Recipient of Jane S. and W. Harry Willson Graduate Fellowship. University of Georgia. May 2024
  • 1st place in Processing and Products Poster Presentations. International Poultry Scientific Forum. January 2024.
  • Recipient of Travel Grant Award. Southeastern Branch of the American Society for Microbiology. November 2023.
  • 1st place in Processing and Products Oral Presentations. International Poultry Scientific Forum. January 2023.
  • Recipient of Travel Grant Award. Southeastern Branch of the American Society for Microbiology. November 2022.
  • 1st place in Microbiology Oral Presentations. Association of Southeastern Biologists. April 2022.
  • Recipient of College of Public Health Travel Grant, University of Georgia. March 2022.
  • 2nd place for Graduate Poster Presentations. Florida and Southeastern Branch American Society for Microbiology. March 2021.
  • 2nd place for Undergraduate Poster Presentations. Southeastern Branch of the American Society for Microbiology. February 2020.